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Take your options trading strategies to the next level this Spring! Attend one of our free live seminars to learn about the benefits of spreads, and how to adapt these strategies to particular market forecasts. Or learn at your own pace in the comfort of your home or office by taking one of OIC's twelve online courses. Visit www.888options.com for all your options education needs.

The Introduction to Spreading class at Options University covers the use of basic bullish and bearish call and put spreads (i.e. simultaneously purchasing and writing calls or puts with different strike prices). Investigate how and why the potential risk and reward profiles for these strategies differ from those of simple long calls or long puts, and see what might motivate an investor to use simple bull or bear spreads.

Visit Options University to take the Introduction to Spreading class!

It's not too late to order your copy of "An Investor's Guide to Trading Options," which was developed by Lightbulb Press, the creators of The Wall Street Journal Guide to Money & Investing, in collaboration with The Options Industry Council. This handy 64-page guide: Explains what options are and how they work. Provides real-world investing scenarios. Describes options strategies for various markets. Order today at 888options.com or call 1-888-OPTIONS.

The FREE Options Investigator™ is a comprehensive options learning tool that tailors itself to your learning style and skill level by incorporating the use of audio and video while you explore each subject. You will find a full range of options topics including:
Position Simulator Interactive Strategy Analyzer Quizzes Extensive Glossary Comprehensive Resource Library Order today at 888options.com or call 1-888-OPTIONS.

April 4, 2005 - The Options Industry Council (OIC) announced that the volume in equity options for March set a new monthly record when 112,872,709 contracts traded, 4.3 percent higher than the previous record set in January 2005. [ Read More ]

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Our free educational option seminars are taught by exchange professionals and held throughout the U.S. and Canada. Spring classes will be held in the following cities from April 5 through May 31: Tampa, FL, Orlando, FL, Minneapolis, MN, Detroit, MI, Toronto, ON, Cambridge, MA, San Mateo, CA, Atlanta, GA, Baltimore, MD, Houston, TX, Dallas, TX, Los Angeles, CA, Schaumburg, IL, and Las Vegas, NV. Check here to see if OIC is headed to a city near you.

Q:	I have a calendar call spread, and the call I sold is now in-the-money. Will my brokerage firm exercise the long side of my spread to meet delivery obligations if the short call is exercised?
A:	If your plan is to meet your stock delivery obligation by exercising your long call, you will need to discuss this with your broker and give your brokerage firm exercise instructions for the long call. You should also be aware that as the "ex-date" for a dividend approaches, the likelihood of in-the-money calls being exercised increases. Because call holders may seek to "capture" an impending dividend by exercising, a call writer's chances of being assigned an exercise may increase as the ex-date for a dividend on the underlying security nears. For more comprehensive information, go to "options school" by registering with our FREE Options University at http://www.888options.com/university/ou_detail_info.jsp and taking our online, interactive Options Spreads class.
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